Set to Go - Hair tie
7-3056362. Made in China
6cm x 17cm x 1cm
Made in China, for the selling price of CAD$ 2 for 40 black hair ties, gives the consumer cost of each individual hair tie to be 5 cents. This price accounts for the rent of the store (Dollarama), salary of manager and sales associates, cost price of product, shipping and a profit. Although Dollarama does sell some items at a loss from time to time, we can assume that the manufacturing cost is less than $2 which reduces as the volume of production increases. The sheer inexpensive nature of a product like this, makes it use-and-throw. We buy these items in bulk and do not bother making sure we do not lose them. Most of these products end up in landfills, often being shipped back to Asia as waste. It does not make economic sense to even try to recycle these products when purchasing them is so cheap. Our relationship to these items and how we use them is directly linked to their monetary value. Stores like Dollarama make money by using a high-volume, low-margin model featuring direct, low-cost sourcing from Asia.
Akhil J Narayanan